Canale Monterano bread

The bread from Canale Monterano was first baked around the beginning of the 16^th century, when the old town of Monterano saw a sharp increase in the immigration of Umbrian and Tuscan woodcutters who came here to cut down the Silva Mantiana, the outermost part of the Silva Cimino. In accordance with Tuscan tradition, the bread is made with bread flour, or bread and whole-wheat flour, water, natural yeast and  no salt. The loaves are rectangular and weigh between 1-2 kgs; their crust is thin, and the soft part is a pale colour (tending to yellow), and has an intense aroma. It is an excellent accompaniment to cheese and salami, as it enhances their slight saltiness, or when it is cooked into a bruschetta (toasted bread).